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The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in Washington, D.C. on May 23–24, 1865 following the Union victory in the American Civil War. Elements of the Union Army paraded through the streets of the capital to receive accolades from the crowds. Additional photo:
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Colonel Beauchamp sighed as he presented his sword to the Union general. "C'est la vie" as his mother had always said. ------------ Playing around with some 3rd party "waist capes" that I think really fill out the uniforms.
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Some confederate soldiers. I put them on a yellow background so they didn't look too good - the title is a nod to them rising in insurrection against the US and being on the wrong side of history. The torsos are largely taken from official figures with some of the print partially removed.
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As the 6th Maine headed south away from Gettysburg, Corporal Breckinridge spotted a huge blasted tree trunk that must have caught artillery fire. He smiled and thought to himself, “That must have been a big tree!”. It was the first time he had smiled since the battle had ended.
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I'm not much of a marvel fan but One of my close friends also a inside for me for lego has told me about the fourth captain america civil war set, toys R us exclusive in America, Germany, England, Australia, Canada, south east Asian countries and most European countries and more. (I talked to a Lego/toy collector friend and was advised to post the Rumor/ news here (another friend but from England). Set includes: . Iron man mk XLVI - broken helmet and black eyed face. (same face as the one from the new poly-bag) . Captain America, masked - (not the same as age of ultron one) scratched shield . Black panther - unmasked . Ant-man - minifigure scale . Spider-man - messy black webbing with lighter red then usual and darker blue then usual . Baron von Zemo - purple head . unknown red bigfig - (most likely a red hulk) . Hawkeye - he is tied up on a structure, appears to be captured. The set is supposedly meant to be a play-set with no vehicles, priced around $130 -$150 USD There is also a rumor which is supposed to have a 5th set coming out in may (because of spoilers for the movie), which includes and highlights scarlet which and vision. Bucky, falcon, war- machine, black widow, crossbones and some others do not appear in these sets.
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Hello all, just a warning- this is pic heavy. I don't think there were any restrictions on that in the guidelines, but oh well. I also would like to apologize for the annoying shadow of my head in some of the shots; that's just how it turned out with my lighting setup. Now a brief prelude. It is a period of Galactic Civil War all throughout the Galaxy, around one year after the famous Battle of Endor. General and Princess Leia Organa has sent Han Solo and his wookiee friend Chewbacca to recover stolen credits on the planet Bnar, a system in the Blaxant Sector, a space deep in Imperial territory. Han and his small squadron had almost managed to escape the imperial outpost when an imperial dropship full of the dreaded Storm Troopers arrived on the scene. Figless. Just the base and terrain. Well that's a wrap. Thanks for looking everyone and may the force be with you... always ~~Strider~~ Sorry, forgot to mention in the title- this is in the Large Category
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Another year, another Comic Con, and as you probably know, TLG always likes to sell exclusive sets at these cons which are very popular. However, they are not the only exclusives being sold there. Another hugely popular SDCC exclusive are Funko's POP! vinyl figures. They are stylish, adorable representations of characters from various licenses. There are hundreds of them and collectors can't get enough of them. So, for this year's San Diego Comic Con, TLG seems to have decided to appeal to both LEGO and Funko fans by debuting their upcoming Brickheadz, a series of brick-built figures in a similar style to the POP! figs, just blockier. I was able to acquire one of the four sets that were available while I was at the con and it contains the stars of the latest Marvel blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War. So, do Lego bricks and the vinyl figure style go well together or do they clash like the two Marvel heroes did in the movie? Lets find out! Set Number: 41492 Name: Iron Man & Captain America Theme: Brickheadz Subtheme: Marvel Super Heroes Year of Release: 2016 Pieces: 184 Minifigs: 0 Price: $39.99 USD Links: Brickset Bricklink Before we begin, I would like to tell you about my experience at San Diego Comic Con. I have been going to this convention and its sister convention, Wondercon, for the past 3 years. I always enjoy it a lot as it is great to get together with other nerds and just geek out about the things you love. You can see everyone's cosplays, meet artists and celebrities, get sneak peeks for upcoming media, watch world premiere cartoons, and get neat stuff! However, with every passing year I have been noticing how increasingly crowded it has gotten, and the more crowded it got, the less enjoyable it has become. The first time I went to SDCC, I had no problem walking around, getting exclusives, and getting into the panels I wanted to see (except for the Marvel/DC ones in Hall H - those have always had a notoriously long line). But within just three years it has gotten to the point where navigating the exhibit hall is virtually impossible without pushing your way through masses of warm, sweaty people and you have to get in line for exclusives and panels multiple hours in advance to even stand a chance to enter them. I spent most of my time just standing in line in the hot summer sun and most of the time the exclusives were sold out or the panel was already over by the time I got halfway through the line, so I walked away with nothing but a bad sunburn and had to try my luck at the next line. The line for the exclusive minifigs stretched from one end of the convention center to the other and the worst thing is that most of the people were scalpers who were only there so they could sell them for ridiculous prices later. So while the panels and booths that I did get to see were great, I definitely think that TLG and the whole Comic Con team need to organize this event better somehow. Needless to say, I will think twice before I attempt to get an exclusive next time, if I even go at all. That said, after getting in line at 4 in the morning, getting lucky in the raffle, and standing in another line at the Lego booth to buy it for forty bucks, I did manage to get this set as a souvenir, so lets open this bad boy! The Box The set comes in a thick, shiny box which is much more sturdy than your average Lego box. The background transitions from a yellow/orange gradient on Iron Man's side to a black/red gradient on Captain America's side via a dot pattern which gives it that comic book feel. At the top of the front there is a big LEGO BRICKHEADZ logo and a little circle letting you know that this is a SDCC 2016 exclusive. Thanks yellow circle! I never would have guessed! The Brickheadz logo is a bit bland and the Z instead of an S seems a bit corny, but it's cute how they stylized the H to look like a Brickhead. On the bottom, there is the Marvel logo and labels for the two Brickheadz included in the set accompanied by a little icon for each of them which is a nice touch. The backside has a similar layout with the same logos, but what's fun is that the Brickheadz are shown from their backside here. It also features a picture that assures you that the figures are indeed removable from their base, and instead of the labels there is a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo. The sides of the box continue the theme of showing the Brickheadz as if the box was see-through by showing Iron Man's right-hand side on the left side of the box and Cap's left-hand side on the right. Even on top of the box you see the top of the "headz" of the Brickheadz. However, on the bottom you don't see the bottom of the figs. It's just black and there is a fancy tape stretching across it with the Brickheadz logo and a shadowy impression of the eyes of a Brickhead printed on it. Now I'm going to do something that is probably unthinkable for all those scalpers at SDCC: I'm actually going to open and build this Lego set! The way you open the box is you cut the tape at the bottom and slide the cover off. Contents The box contains one instructions booket and one parts bag for each Brickhead. Much like the box, the bags are not the usual kind. You don't need to rip them open as they have an easy to open flap on the back. They also each have a sticker with some mysterious numbers on it. This is the first page of both of the instruction booklets. It shows both of the SDCC exclusive Marvel Brickheadz sets together on the left side and a teaser image for the upcoming Brickheadz line on the right which confirms the release date of the theme to be March 1st, 2017. The instructions are presented on a solid black background which provides a nice contrast and gives you the sophisticated feeling that you are putting together a collectible display item rather than a kids toy. The callouts are clear and the build is very simple as it only involves some basic SNOT. Good news! There are no stickers in this set! All the decals are printed, giving us a nice assortment of exclusive parts. The most notable printed piece is the black 2x4 tile with the Lego logo and the hashtag "LEGOSDCC" which there are two of in the set. It bugs me a little that they put a hashtag onto the set itself as it seems like a blatant attempt to get social media exposure for the event, but at least it marks it as an SDCC exclusive. Aside from Cap and Tony's torso and helmet pieces, there is also the new Brickheadz eye tile and Iron Man's eye tiles which are trans-light-blue 1x1 tiles with a simple white square printed on it. As always, the light printing on dark parts is not very strong, so things like the "LEGO" and "A" fonts are not as white as they could be. There are also some new recolors in this set such as the 1x2 plate with clip in red and the 1x1 round tile with small tube in white. The trans-clear stud with handle from the latest Spider-Man sets is included as well. Now we know where Spidey got that new web-shooter tech from. Assembling the Avengers You can start the build with either one of the Brickheadz. I'd like to build these in alphabetical order, so let's start with the guy who has a big "A" on his forehead. The parts contained in the bag for Captain America are the following. You start the build from the waste up and add the legs later on as you've seen on the sample instructions page earlier. Two round bricks serve as a center support for the torso. All of the SNOT is achieved by using the double brick with four studs on the side which was introduced earlier this year. The inner walls of the head are entirely comprised of them. What's funny is that in the center of the head they included a 2x2 brick in pink so that it looks like there is a brick-shaped brain inside of the brick-headz. Well played, designers. Here is the finished Captain. He looks quite adorable with that big head and glissening eyes. It's interesting that they made the highlights in his eyes square to stick with the brick theme of these figures. Next up is Iron Man. He has a few more parts as you can see in the lineup below. Iron Man's torso is similar to Cap's, but it's more intricate as it uses a lot of headlight bricks to attach his armor plating (or should I say tiling?). The inner structure is the same, including the brain brick which is the same size as that of any other Brickhead. I guess Tony is not so smart after all. After you add the plates around the head and add the legs, you're finished! Iron Man looks quite good with his armor tiles and repulsor beams, and the trans-light-blue showing around the eyes gives them that blue glow that they have in the movies which is an effect that the minifig version has yet to achieve. My only gripe is that the red strip on his forehead is interrupted by a yellow line, but that's excusable. The Completed Set Don't they look adorable together? It's hard to imagine these little guys starting a civil war. Both of them are based on their comic counterparts, so their costumes look very colorful, especially when standing next to each other. As you can see looking at them from the front, the boost from Iron Man's jet boots makes him stand one plate taller than Cap and all the other Brickheadz. Also, the use of tiles on his chest and slopes on his shoulders give the impression that he is wearing armor. The printing on both of their faces and torsos is very minimalist, but works with the simplified look that they're going for. For comparison, here is a picture of Funko's POP! versions of these characters. They look quite similar, don't they? TLG is not even trying to hide the fact that they are copying Funko's style. Captain America looks almost the same and the only difference on Iron Man is the use of standard black eyes (although they did use white eyes in the later movie versions of the character). I like how they used that white claw piece to represent the little wings on Cap's helmet. I can see them using the same technique for the Flash. I also like the way Iron Man holds his repulsor beams. This trans-clear stud with handle is a very useful part and I hope they use the same technique for the Iron Man minifig in future sets. Like in the comics, the printing on Cap's costume is exactly the same on the back as it is in the front. It's a bit lazy, but it's nice to see that he does have printing here, unlike Iron Man who is completely blank. They already printed so many parts in this set, so it would have been nice if they would have just printed these two tiles too. Cap's shield-holding hand is different from his left hand as it uses the 1x2 plate variant with the clip on the short side rather than the long side. This is supposed to give the arm an angled look which sort of works, although it does look a bit awkward. I should also mention that they are obviously top-heavy, especially Iron Man, so they tend to fall over backwards when they are not standing on a flat surface. However, this can be fixed by mounting them onto the center of their base. When I first saw these, I was hoping that their heads and arms were mounted on turntables so that you could pose them a little bit like you can with the Funko POPs, but alas this is not the case. They have zero points of articulation, making them decidedly more display items than toys. Here they are compared to their minifig counterparts. As you can see, they are about twice the size of a minifigure. Ratings Design: 5/5 - I think both of these figures look great. The designers managed to replicate the cute vinyl figure look fairly well while putting their own blocky spin on it, and the pink "brain" brick is a nice touch. Build: 2/5 - A very quick and easy build with nothing special aside from some basic SNOT. Nothing challenging. Playability: 1/5 - The Brickheadz don't have any articulation or play features, so they are clearly meant to be displayed rather than played with. Although the fact that the set includes two characters who have quite a history in both the comics and movies does allow for some role play. Parts: 4/5 - Most of the bricks included here are fairly common, but they're useful nonetheless. Some of the parts are exclusive to the set and all decals are printed which is always nice to see, although the lack of printing on Iron Man's back armor is disappointing. Price: 1/5 - I know I don't really have a right to complain since most people have to pay extortion prices on ebay to get these, but $40 for just 184 pieces is way too high already for me. When these are officially released, I hope that they cost only half as much or less. Overall: 3/5 - I have never bought a vinyl figure since I try to limit myself to collecting only one type of toy (#Lego4Life ), but I do see the charm that people see in them, so when it was announced that Lego will be making their own Funko-style figures, I was quite excited. While I don't think that Lego will become a serious competitor to Funko and other real vinyl figures, I do think that these Brickheadz are pretty cool on their own. Kids might not be interested in them due to their lack of playability, but some adult collectors like myself might find them charming. That said, I do not recommend getting this set, especially at aftermarket prices. It's just too much money for two little figures that might get released for a much more reasonable price in about half a year. The only special thing about it is the packaging and the hashtag-tiles. The only reason I got it was that I didn't want to leave the con empty-handed. In conclusion, while the process of acquiring these wasn't much fun and I payed more for them than I would've liked, I don't regret getting them as they do look rather nice and I look forward to see what TLG will do with this theme. I really like the Brickheadz style and might even build some of my own! I hope you enjoyed this review, and since it's the trendy thing to do this year, I added a poll above where you can vote for your favorite superhero, so go and vote! It's sure to be an easier choice than the presidential election this year. To end this review, there are so many jokes that could be made with these, but I'll settle for this one:
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The Black Spire calls for reinforcements. The gears of war are finally put in motion and the terrible, most devastating fate of the Darklands takes its course. While the armies of Historica march to Nocturnus, a single colossus comes down the northern Rakath at the border to Mitgardia; the giant seeks neither glory nor riches, the pure lust for destruction and chaos makes him leaving his home in the mountains and entering the vale. Where he plagues the land, he erases villages. He devours the cattle and leaves nothing but desolation and death.
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Lord VonBelticus was pacing the room when a hooded man entered. VonBelticus Good, your here. Hooded man Why did you call for this meeting to be a secret? VonBelticus We can't let this letter get to the drow, Cassius. As he said so he laid a letter on the table 002 by TheUtilityBelt32, on Flickr VonBelticus Two days ago I got a message from one of my scouts. I've already sent copys of the contents to Lords DeGothia and Simon. Cassius Well then, if it's so important open it! Cassius grabed for the letter but VonBelticus got to it first. He opened it and put it down on the table. 003 by TheUtilityBelt32, on Flickr Cassius It's a map. It's the coast? VonBelticus My scout found a drow camp near Burnby. He managged to swipe this from them before they left headed toward the sea. Cassius It's war plans! They're bringing there fleet to attack the coast! Here's my entry for the Dark Times challenge and I hope you like it!
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To those who stay at home: My mind cannot rest. I am on the road again ... looking for truth. But this time it won't be pleasant. This time dark shadows cloud my way. I do not know what I will find in the East. But I do know that I will go there. I am off to look for truth. Friends! Forgive me! - even though you cannot understand... Yours, Abū Alī al-Ḥusayn ibn Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā
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The drow have set up many army camps in the Wither Wood. Sir Jontry of the Eagle-men has scouts all over the Wither, so whenever one finds a camp, they report back and Sir Jontry himself attacks the camp. This time he asked me to come along and attack. We hid for a long time watching them do whatever a drow normally does. as it was late afternoon, we found it fit to reveal ourselves. "Damn drow!" Sir Jontry yelled, and with that we attacked. It was over before it had begun. They fought well, but were clumsy in the way of weapons. My first for the civil war challenge in Avalonia. C&C welcome, and I hope ya like it! EDIT: Can a mod change the title to say "Catagorie A"?
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One of the most enduring stories of the Civil War is the 1862 Andrews Raid... or better known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The namesake at the center of this drama is the locomotive "The General": http://flic.kr/s/aHsjEtRoBg . The paint scheme shown here is not how she appeared in 1862... however it is the one popularized in the mid-20th century and what most people remember. This static display model was a commission. It leverages many techniques from my Wild Wild West locomotive "Inyo" but with a more traditional brick frame. It also sports a set of Zephyr1934's (Ben C's) custom drive rods ( http://www.bricklink...re.asp?p=zephyr ). My only regret is that I ran short of large BBB drivers so had to include standard Lego drivers :-( - Brian Williams
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The Desert King has taken Eastgate! After a combined attack (unique in Kaliphlin's history) of air, ground and naval forces, the city has surrendered. The ground forces (supported by heavy catapults and ballista) were attacking from the North, breaking out of the Witherwoods. DK ships came from the sea and attacked the city where the red river waters mingle with the clear blue water coming in from the ocean. Finally the bombardment carried out by the Royal Flying Carpet Corps (RFCC) broke the resistance of the defenders. This is the aerial perspective: The "Guardian" took severe damage: Most of the city was saved from ruin as the attack had been quick and swift. Victory once more fell to the Desert King! C&C welcome.
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Ra'sh Fforh Whord had grown up from a boy to a young man. He found that the village he was living in did not offer much to him His father kept saying that it was not time to make a change, he should take things slowly. But Ra'sh was determined and he knew in his heart that adventure lay in store for him. But how could he try to explain? When one day a troop of Mounted Ostrich Archers came into his village to seek for young recruits, he jumped for the opportunity. His father was sceptical, his mother unsure of what the future would bring, when Ra'sh took the Desert King's Shilling to become a Mounted Ostrich Archer. And you could hear them singing: Left a good job in the city Workin' for the man every night and day I never lost one minute of sleeping Worryin' about the way things might have been We are strong and we are cunning Ostriches keep on running Running, running, running through the desert Gladly he accepted the Desert King's shilling. Little did Ra'sh know what would lie ahead of him. His little sister wondered what a mighty warrior Ra'sh might become. (I was asked to highlight the following detail:) Ra'sh left his home town - would he ever come back to his home and family? Later that day, a High Council spy was found and captured in the village. But that was another story to be told on a different day. C&C welcome. -
When Altonio De’Ran felt the world shake, surely he was dreaming. Unfortunately as the Kaliphlin Guardsman of Dompei--un’Erezhi (Town’s name translates to “Damp under the Lone Mountain” in ancient Kaliphlinese) looked out his window, the worst thing possible filled his vision. Erezhi was erupting. No, not erupting, exploding. The Lone Mountain had blown its top, and now fireballs were raining down on the three towns around her base. on Flickr He screamed to his leiutenent, but when he finally got out of the barracks, he could see the steady stream of people running for their lives. DSC_1461 by skaforhire, on Flickr Black, fiery rock was falling from the sky, the residence next door had already been hit by a large piece of the mountain. DSC_1468 by skaforhire, on Flickr He looked over to his left and saw at least one person who had been ended by the flying fire missiles. DSC_1459 by skaforhire, on Flickr And the world kept shaking. DSC_1457 by skaforhire, on Flickr To his right he saw a woman grasp her son. After placing a kiss on his head, in defeat she covered the boy’s face and said “Goodnight, sweet prince.” DSC_1462 by skaforhire, on Flickr Then the ash came. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It was said that the mountain shook for two days, and the lands bordering the Southern Ocean felt the earth cry out for three more nights before she washed away her pain in a great wave that devastated the coast. Although the devastation was enormous, Kaliphlin’s sorrow was just beginning. trustnobody by skaforhire, on Flickr edit by skaforhire, on Flickr -
The Death of Flagg (Challenge IV Prelude, Chapter 9) Previous Prelude chapters: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 The Death of Flagg “And then I ran, and the Drow assassin chased me, but I finally remembered an invisibility spell, which saved my life!” The Sorceress Nefrillia concluded. DSC_1617 by skaforhire, on Flickr Kyban Wh'Ali of Khar'dek, current Lord Protector in council almost looked sick to his stomach as he investigated the mess. Two dead mage professors at the University of Petraea on his watch, and the leader of Kaliphlin disappeared and assumed dead. Dugal pitied the man, Bain and other High Council members were going to have a field day with this when the High Council met tonight. DSC_1622 by skaforhire, on Flickr “Are you sure Dextrus did not make it through the portal safely?” Lady Kylee asked. Nefrilla replied with eerie confidence “ when the Drow attacked us, and killed Professor Parker, it sent a backlash through the ritual stone. Flagg had crossed the threshold of the gate and was completely dematerialized at the time. As the backlash came back to the gate there was a red glow, and then it spit out Flagg’s shield.” She sighed, “ I am sorry, he is just… gone. The magic must have ripped him into a million particles.” That was a disturbing thought… “and you say that he was trying to reach Kathyrin? I thought her dead?” Gideon asked. “Indeed, he had us switch the polarity of the artifact to try and travel to the underworld using the hole Dugal crawled out of last year.” Nefrilla answered. “Well, this is definitely his shield.” Bain said, placing Dextrus Flagg’s most recognizable possession back on the ground. Dugal looked around the large room in the University of Petraea's Sciences and Magic building, “How does a Drow assassin hide in a pristine white room?” The rest of the council looked just as confused. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= An hour earlier… Dextrus Flagg seemed extremely giddy, and more excited than he had in months. Rolo Audek, Flagg’s bodyguard was not as happy as his friend and master. He and Barden Warwalker, a famed undead hunter, were about to accompany Flagg through some sort of gate to the netherworld. Kaliphlin scientists and mages just recently got the Simultaneous Transport and Retrieval gate to work between gates in Kaliphlin, now they wanted to go to new planes? However, Sorceress Nefrillia, Professor Parker, and Clemte E. Pilsin, adventurer mage extraordinaire, assured their guild leader that the gate was ready for interdimensional travel. DSC_1603 by skaforhire, on Flickr “So this will take us to the hole near Queencross that Dugal came out of? And then to the underworld?” Flagg asked again. “Something like that, but you are thinking of the Stargate too limitedly, it does not travel in a path, but in a straight line between planes of existence.” Said Parker, and he was immediately interrupted by Pilsin. “Yer mean STRgate. “And” cannot be in the acronym! It is a STR gate!” Pilsin chimed. He was pronouncing it like “stir gate” and it was clear that the two had gone through the semantics before. “That sounds terrible, it is stargate.” Parker said, the clearly more educated of the two. “STRRRRRGATE!” I build the ritual stone and was the first traveler through the gate, I get to name it.” He declared. “STRRRRGATE.” Flagg interjected. “I don’t care about the name, can you make it home in on Kathyrin?” “That is not how it works” Both Pilsin and Parker chimed in. Nefrilla was oddly quiet. Barden patted Flagg on the back, “That is why you have me, sir. I can find her, no matter where in the seven hells she is.” “There actually are not se…” Pilsin started, but Flagg cut him off. “Very well, let’s get this started.” The three mages gathered around the ritual stone and began to pour magic into the small ruby looking stone. DSC_1604 by skaforhire, on Flickr Soon, the gate began to glow and then a water like surface appeared within the circle. Dex2 by skaforhire, on Flickr Rolo took up his position at the front, climbed the ramp, held his breath, and crossed the threshold. It was cold and then the world went black. Dex4 by skaforhire, on Flickr +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= The first two travelers went through the Strgate. Pilson was overjoyed that other humans were finally getting to experience gate travel! Flagg was about to step in when Nefrilla said “Oh Flagg, you can’t take that shield!” Parker and Pilson both looked at their comrade with a quizzical glance, but she continued. “The silver plating will not pass into the next realm, it could kill you or send the gate somewhere else!” Pilson looked at Parker. That was not true, there was no metal that could not travel through the gate, at least that they knew of. However, before Pilson could find words, Flagg yelled “thanks!” ran down the ramp, put the shield down, and ran back up the ramp to dive through the strgate. dex0 by skaforhire, on Flickr As soon as he was through, Nefrilla immediately let go of her magical stream, and the portal winked out of existence. Pilson was unable to question her, for before he could speak a knife quickly flashed in Nefrilla’s hands. She stabbed Parker in the neck, and Pilson wet himself. He turned to run, and he heard her cackle with amusement. He may have got fifteen paces before he felt a cold object pierce his lower back. DSC_1612 by skaforhire, on Flickr He gulped. She turned the knife, and pulled up hard. He began to choke. So this is how his life ended, well it had been a good one, he had written books… lots of books… seen the rise and fall of many men and women who led historica… had even been the court jes… he closed his eyes. He knew he would not sleep forever, heck maybe he would even see Flagg on the other side. Dex5 by skaforhire, on Flickr
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Bring In Your Dead (Challenge IV Prelude, Chapter 8) Previous Prelude chapters: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Bring In Your Dead (Special thanks to Jorrith here, who put this build together within 24 hours of me asking him to. All pictures in this chapter are his.) 364586b by 1, on Flickr Wuulin felt fear for the first time in a long time. Sure, he had been in the presence of undead before, but none as intimidating as Lord Vladivus, Lord Anfauglir, and Lord Mortis. Perhaps this was the reason his master, the Desert King Ark'Mora Raa, had decided to seek an alliance with them. He also knew his master hated the Black Spire. When he last roamed the earth, Nocturnus was part of Kaliphlin, and the source of the curse that allowed Raa to rise again in this present era. 364591 by 3, on Flickr He had brought two domesticated Sand Scorpions for Lord Vladivus, he had heard the lord had a taste for unique and interesting things, and he thought the rarest pet in Kaliphlin might catch the lord’s interest. He continued on with his speech “as you can see, my master wishes only friendship with you and your cause.” He directed his words to Vladivus as instructed, but knew that what he had to say was meant for all three of the rebellion’s leaders. “After Kaliphlin is firmly under the old dynasty again, her troops will be at your call for your final assault on the Black Spire. My master is very interested in a close alliance with a region he feels so akin to.” Although many Leander had joined the Desert King, Wuulin was one of the few that was still “whole.” Most had been afflicted with the mountain mummy curse, and indeed the mountain mummies made up the majority of Raa’s forces. It was only natural to make an alliance with the capital of the undead. Wuulin glanced up at Lord Mortis and Anfauglir, they seemed to be judging him, or maybe judging his cause. 364590 by 2, on Flickr Vladivus spoke in a calculated, cool tone. “Your offer is… intriguing. However, as far as we have heard, Kaliphlin already has a ruler, what makes you think that he will give up his place for the old Pharaoh?” “My master assures you that Flagg will be no obstacle.” Wuulin said. “Nobody has seen him in years. He has been a recluse since his sister was taken. The High Council runs Kaliphlin, and they are divided and weak. My master is confident he will be able to secure their loyalty within the month. They look and desire for leadership in this troubled time.” “And what of the Ulandians?” Vladivus said. “We hear there is another army within Kaliphlin.” “My master remembers when Ulandus was part of Kaliphlin, he remembers sinking their island after they tried to defy his rule!” he replied. “ It is a shame some of them survived, and their descendants found another island to call home, but the Desert King does not fear the Sea Peoples.” He quickly added, “perhaps they will see the error of their ancestors and pledge loyalty quickly, or maybe we will just sink their new island.” He thought he heard a chuckle from somewhere in the chamber, maybe the guard? “You have given us much to think about Ambassador Wuulin. No go, be a guest in Shadowmere, you will have your answer in a fortnight.” And with the Vladivus turned and left, leaving Wuulin staring at a guard. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Lord Vladivus, Anfauglir, and Mortis discussed the new proposition. 364587 by 4, on Flickr “He could be a powerful ally against the Spire” Angauglir said. “But can we really divide our forces?” Mortis asked. “Who says we have to send him our best forces?” Vladivus replied. “All of us have followers that may be better off away from the action here, those we least trust, or those that may challenge our leadership.” “I am still not convinced that a full commitment should be made.” Mortis said. Angauglir concluded “So we speak more on this tonight, for now there are matters to attend to.”
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Hooray! Desert King troops have managed to destroy the source of power of the First Centurion! In a fierce battle the defenders were defeated: A large part of the battle raged in the garden of the Celestial Palace: The brave DK fighters (supported by Mounted Ostrich Bowmen) were excited about their victory. The defenders (dis-)appeared in the usual way... Key to the victory was ... ... the Desert King's fire mage ... ... who destroyed the artefact of the First Centurion with his magic flame thrower . The magic monument, that had been beaming with yellow thaumaturgical energy, came crashing down in flames. When its magic died, a loud, unearthly scream was heard through the gardens of the palace... C&C welcome.
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After the overwhelming victory, a grand Flag Parade was held at Sultan's Gate - with guests from all parts of the world. The victorious troops marched by His Majesty, flowers covering the ground. General Ra and the famous Mounted Ostrich Archers (the Desert King's elite forces) led the parade. ... followed by Al Giwemm Fahia who carefully demonstrated his Staff of Flames as he crossed the Blue Water Bridge - just behind him the famous sorceress Kleotete: Lady Phlici, now engaged, could be spotted amongst the spectators next to another general. The First Mummy Warriors Corps were carrying blue flowers from Petraea, well almost all of them... The crowd was excited and cheerful: The Flying Carpet Corps had their big moment too: Musicians played tunes that were written especially for the occasion... .. .and a splendid time was guaranteed for all. C&C welcome. This is the largest set (128x32) I have build in this challenge and it was difficult enough to take decent pictures. I hope they worked out well in their smaller format. I have tried to include bits and pieces from all previous MOCs in the scene. You may also want to find out how many monkeys and how many jugglers are included . Or animals...
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... a noisy parade had sneaked into the city, only to run into an unexpected halt. Nelly Wilson, the grand old man of the Kaliphlin musicians guild, stepped forward, accompanied by soldiers. "May I see your Musicians Guild Membership Cards", he demanded. The intruders collapsed in dismay. The MGMCs... they had forgotten to forge them. All their plans, all their preparation now in vain... Soon, they ended up in prison. Nelly Wilson was not the man to mess with. He never knew that he had in fact prevented a terrorist attack... This is a counter on B12 against Garmadon's GA.
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After Ra'sh Fforh Whord had taken the Desert King's shilling and had joined the Mounted Ostrich Archers (MOA) TM - the Desert King's elite forces - life was not so easy for him: Riding an ostrich was a difficult thing to do... requiring a lot of training lessons... His first major task in the Kaliphlin Civil War was to guard a very important piece of the desert: ... he did reasonably well. Then Ra'sh's military career started to blossom. He became the best archer of the MOATM and received a prize, that was given to him by General Ra himself. The precious moment was captured on canvas: Later that day, a Ulandus spy was captured with the help of the painter - but that is a different story to be told on a different occasion. The civil war raged on. Ra'sh was freeing prisoners of war... ... and he was there when they stormed Xersia and Petraea (Ra'sh was highly impressed by the city's archicture) ... After the war had ended Ra'sh left the army highly decorated and with all the pay he had been saving throughout the time. He proposed to the King's Sorceress Nofrepatra and they got married. With their savings they opened up a carpet trader shop (The "Rug'N'Roll") in Petraea, thus continuing the business his father had started long ago. Ra'sh took a liking to dressing in light green, his wife kept her infamous sorceress wardrobe. Many friends from the times of the war came by to buy one of his precious carpets - the finest ones in all of Kaliphlin. Ra'sh was happy to see his old sergeant again. They all lived happily ever after. This closes the story of Ra'sh Fforh Whord and the Kaliphlin Civil war. (I've been using 3 MOCs from CAT C together with 3 new ones). @Ska: If you need to pick one pic for the voting, pls take the first one with the rug shop on it. C&C welcome!
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Supporting the Council (Challenge IV Prelude, Chapter 17) Chapters so far: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 (ALSO: War of the Brothers Part II Chapter 1 HERE for more on that) petera by skaforhire, on Flickr Supporting the Council (Three Months after Chapter 16) It was unusually cold in Eastgate today. Petera MacLean placed the seal on a letter. He hoped it was not too late. The last two years had been hard for Eastgate, the constant siege and the jockeying of two brothers to take control of their birthright had left most of the old town thin to the bone in civilians. Dugal’s Army, backed by his strong ally Lord DaMaximus still sat outside the Old City walls, while most of the New city on the other side of the Red River thrived in this war economy. They had even constructed a makeshift port, and outsourced much of their shipbuilding to Carn, Eastgate’s little sister town on the inland sea. Petera was surprised that the siege still held. Most of Dugal’s mercenaries moved on now that Bishop Jamon was dead and not paying their wages. There was gold to be had in the conflict brewing, an mercenaries always went towards the scent of gold. DaMaximus had siphoned off some of his own soldiers to go back to East Kaliphlin, where Both Ulandus and the Desert King were making strides at turning towns and villages to their command, so far no violence between the forces of the High Council and the other two had broken out, however, the peacekeeping troops, had mostly retreated towards Petraea to avoid conflict, as their orders from the Council were clear not to provoke a fight. Pretty much all of Dugal’s Army that were Kaliphlin troops had been stripped from him by the council and sent to be peacekeepers. This made it a much more even fight, if Dugal ever decided to storm Eastgate. Petera’s forces were not in the best shape either. After a hard defeat at the Wither Woods, it was near impossible to build some of Eastgate’s armies that were loyal to him. Eastgate was one of the stronger cities when it came to military force, mostly because GEAR Co’s possessions stretched throughout the known world, and often times a show of force was necessary to protect them. However, with all of the armies recalled to Eastgate to fight out this civil war between brothers, many of Eastgate’s possessions had been seized by raiders, other Councilors, Ulandians, and even Mountain Mummies. Petera had just got a report this morning that some of the oilfields in East Kaliphlin had been taken by the Desert King. Eastgate had a good reserve in gold, but Petera was spending it quickly. The war between brothers had to end, but he was somewhat sure one of the two of them would have to die first. His Fiancé, Avona the Storm Mistress came into his meeting quarters. She had been a powerful ally, especially after the Wither Woods, when many of his mages deserted him. Not that that mattered too much, since he was one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world himself. But most of his power went to fueling the giant magic dome over Eastgate that Kept Dugal’s forces from going over the walls. “You sent for me?” she said. She didn’t like to be bothered when she was studying the arcane. DSC_1693 by skaforhire, on Flickr “Yes, you are the only one I can trust with this.” He said handing her the letter he had just sealed. “I need you to teleport to Knightsbridge, you know where that is?” She nodded and said “ That will be a tricky teleport. There are a lot of mountains in the way. “ “Good thing you are an expert teleporter.” He said. “This needs to be delivered to Lord Folston immediately. Our spies have reported to us that there is Desert King army marching along the Peak Road, and headed for Knights bridge.” “Why would he not take the Sultan’s road through the desert? It is much quicker than winding around in the Rakath Mountains, that is for sure.” She asked. “I am not sure, but I worry that they may get to Mypa Stedor through the back door, or Berigoria.” He said and she looked at him funny. “Your enemy’s town?” She asked. She had killed a few of DaMaximus’ men herself at the Wither Woods. “Despite our squabble, I am still a High Councilor. We don’t want to see Ulandus or the Desert King take over Kaliphlin. That would make the Valkarian Order’s overall plan to stabilize Historica much less possible. “ He paused. “Before Dugal’s resurfacing, DaMaximus and I were on fairly good terms and supported each other’s initiatives in the council.” “I am not sure this is the correct path, my love.” Avona said. “Even if it isn’t, I made Lord Folston. He was my friend, and I submitted his name to the Council for Lordship at that god-forsaken place. I can’t leave him with no help.” He said. She just nodded, took the letter, and vanished. DSC_1694 by skaforhire, on Flickr Almost immediately Mikeo and his enslaved Efrite, Donjini , entered the room. “Brother, we have a visitor!” But he stopped that line of thought. “I smell Avona’s perfume, is she here?” “I sent her with a message for Lord Folston. The Desert King moves on him.” Petera said. “But Folston is heeding Council Orders, why would you help him.” Mikeo asked. Petera explained the situation basically the same as he had just done for Avona. “Interesting. Do you want me to take my knights there? I am sure Donjini can teleport us there safely.” DSC_1698 by skaforhire, on Flickr “I would not be so sure of that master. I sense that there are numerous mana weaves throughout Kaliphlin, designed to catch teleporting groups.” The Efrite said. Petera knew this. He had webs up within Eastgate to protect them from teleporting intruders, but three very powerful mages were also weaving at that moment in Kaliphlin. He assumed there was a mage for each of the factions in Kaliphlin trying to prevent anyone from moving massive amounts of troops through magic. Luckily for Avona, these weaves were designed to catch large groups and not individuals. Mikeo, despite his fast study of magic since Petera pulled him from the underworld, was a bit confused. Petera did not have time to explain it, for in walked a man in Ulandian armor. DSC_1699 by skaforhire, on Flickr “I thought you were announcing me?” he looked accusingly at Mikeo, but did not wait for a reply. “I am General Royce Ponce of the Thousand Suns, First Centurion’s First Legion, and I have come to secure your friendship for the future of Kaliphlin.” He directed towards Petera. How did he get into the city? As if answering his thoughts, Ponce said: “pardon me for sneaking into your city, I took a small craft into your harbor, however, it is urgent.” Petera cut to the chase. “Why should we join Ulandus?” “You would be joining Kaliplhin, Ulandus only seeks…” but Ponce was cut off by Petera. “…to rejoin Kaliphlin, yes I have heard the spiel. That was months ago, your armies are all over Kaliphlin now. You have fought some battles against Kaliphlinites, you cannot say you come in peace!” In truth these battles were against the Desert King… “We only attack the Pharaoh’s men!” Ponce said. “We seek to be equals in Kaliphlin. Nothing more.” “I think that the equals thing is a cover.” Petera said. “You know that the council will mull over allowing Ulandus to join the guild, it would upset the balance some would say. But your emperor knows this. He also knew the Desert King was on the rise, and found his excuse to force the Kaliphlinites to decide.” Petera smiled. “It is clever indeed, “ he admitted. “ Letting the citizens choose sides in this war while their leaders talk. You will use your armies to defeat the Desert King, and when that is done, you will have a large enough foothold to force your interests to the Council. But… the demand won’t be to add five councilors, it will be to submit to the emperor. When the refusal comes, you will march your armies against your new enemies.” DSC_1700 by skaforhire, on Flickr Ponce sighed, seemingly unfazed. “Your war with Dugal has left you with little trust, I should expect this from someone who murdered their own brother.” “How dare you.” Mikeo said. “You are a guest here, a guest we could easily get rid of.” “You know not what you speak of, manchild.” Ponce said. DSC_1701 by skaforhire, on Flickr Petera butted in. “The Council had declined your offer. I being part of the Council must decline.” “Dugal rules Eastgate from beyond these walls. You are not on the High Council any longer.” Ponce said, and Petera was well aware that he had few supporters at the moment. “We can change that. You will be put onto the council when our negotiations come to fruition. Dugal, who has defied us, and has sent troops to keep us from going where we desire, is not a friend of First Centurion. We will see him deposed. Unless, of course you want to kill him again.” Ponce smirked. Petera had not killed Dugal during the war, although he didn’t stop Revolword from doing so, he also didn’t join the expedition to retrieve his soul from the underworld – but he used their portal to get Mikeo back. Mikeo felt a strong loyalty to Petera because of this, and for that reason a blade of ice quickly appeared in his hand and he began to threaten Ponce. “ That is one lie to many, Fork-tongue! “ DSC_1704 by skaforhire, on Flickr Ponce laughed. LAUGHED! “ You know not what you step into.” He smiled. “You can’t hurt me here.” Now Petera was interested, what made this guy think he could get out of here alive if Petera thought it prudent to end him? Mikeo moved forward but Ponce turned to the Efrite. “Alka’dar Baelos Moritt’guf, al’gernen de’coli pillianar.” Donjini’s eyes widened and he immediately bowed to Ponce and then turned to Mikeo. “He is right master Mikeo, I cannot let you hurt him.” DSC_1705 by skaforhire, on Flickr Petera remembered the incantation, he would have to figure out what just had happened, but it was most likely Old Olinor’s Tongue that he spoke it. It was said that Olinor was the location where the Djin and the Efrite parted ways, and forever Efrite were forbidden to use the old language. Something Ponce said, in that language, had turned Donjini into his guardian. Petera had a feeling that if he was to try to call his magic, he would be unable to do so. Although Donjini was not powerful enough to stop Petera in full sorcerer state, he could easily keep him from reaching that state if he had the drop on him, like he did at the present. A bit of panic hit him… Ponce could kill him now. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Lord Folston was preparing for the Worst. Knightsbridge was to be attacked from the South soon. His scouts had reported that the Ulandians were making their way up the Peak Road – in his mind, more of a trail than a road—and they had high numbers. DSC_1712 by skaforhire, on Flickr Folston had only a few dozen men left. The council had not sent gold in months, and his soldiers were now deserting. He had taken out all the loans he could from villages up to thirty miles away. There just was no more Gold left from Needletop to Southpass. Kaliphlin-north-east-0 by skaforhire, on Flickr The council said that Knightsbridge must be held, as it would keep the Ulandians from reaching the territory claimed by the Desert King. The council feared that if major blood was spilled over a bit of land, then the winner would be less likely to negotiate or relinquish control of said land. Folston agreed. Even if his benefactor was no longer on the council. He thought of Petera, cooped up in Eastgate. He had been a good liege to serve, and Folston was happy to be placed on the high council with Petera’s support. But in reality, NOBODY wanted Knightsbridge. That is why there was a seat open, the last family abandoned its lordship. Knightsbridge was the crucial link on the Peak road. A small trail that went North to South, but also led to the northern Kaliphlin coast, a valuable trade route for spices and other small loads that one can bring by pack animal. Wagons could not travel on the road because of its grade and width at times. The town itself protected a bridge over the Al’Weri River, or Weary River in the common tongue. IT was the only passable place for the length of the whole river within the Rakath Mountains . Therefore its strategic importance was paramount, which was also why the Council subsidized the small town. The town itself sat mostly underground in an old dwarf den – or perhaps it was one of the outposts of the old Rat King’s people? Folston didn’t care, he hated it. It was damp, ugly, smelly, and he relied on the mountain villages to provide food. It was a terrible place to be Lord of. “Alright, we need to work quicker men!” he shouted as a few of his boys pushed barrels towards the secret door to get within the Trifort, The fortification of the south side (technically East side because of the way the river bent at this location) of the river. preparing for defense by skaforhire, on Flickr Just then, Lady Avona appeared next to him and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Damn teleporters! “Greetings Lord Folston, Petera sends is regards and well wishes. He has a message for you.” Avona said, and handed him a letter. DSC_1716 by skaforhire, on Flickr “Hello, Lady Avona, what a pleasant surprise” he said as his heart calmed down. In honesty, he had always been terrified of storm mistress. “Open it right away there is much we must discu…” Suddenly her eyes widened. “I have to go, Petera is in trouble!” with that she vanished. He opened the letter and his heart sank. The Desert King was attacking from the North. He had maybe two days. Petera urged him to keep the bridge at all costs, and to keep the two armies apart. Even if it meant fighting back, something the council had yet to do. DSC_1717 by skaforhire, on Flickr =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Mikeo was still upset. The meeting with Ponce, then his unexpected departure with Mikeo’s Efrite, and finally Petera telling him to just let it go, was wearing on his twin brother. “I will make this right.” Petera said. “I don’t think his power will last over Donjini for long, and I think, if I know my Efrite lore correctly, he will return to you, still your slave.” “Fine. But I want to kill that guy personally.” Mikeo said. Petera ignored that last bit. “Get a message to the Yukar, we need more reports about the Desert King’s whereabouts. “ Petera concluded. DSC_1710 by skaforhire, on Flickr With that, Mikeo left. Almost immediately Avona reappeared, ready to fry anything in her path. DSC_1691 by skaforhire, on Flickr “Are you alright?!” she demanded. “Fine.” He said. They embraced. He then told her about the meeting, and how the Ulandians wanted him to continue to distract Dugal’s forces, and in return, he would be placed on the council. Avona seemed to agree this was wise. But then again, what could he do when he had a Genie’s blade to his throat? Now… was he to keep his bargain?
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This is a counter to Elostirion's build Stopping Reincarnation All is quiet inside this section of the crypt. A Ulandian warrior quickly passes through the hallway, and seeing nothing amiss he moves along. However this wall is different from the others across the crypt. Behind this wall lies a small chamber... Although the Ulandians had stopped the main group of Desert King supporters they did not catch all of them and one had made it to the main tomb, where he had begun a spell. The magic flowing through the crypt had some side affects, triggering many of the spells and enchantments carved into the tomb... One of the Desert King's Nocturnian allies during his original reign 2000 years ago was awakened. This powerful warlock seeks to fight for his leader once more. C and C appreciated EDIT: Oops I forgot to add [CG, D10, DK vs U] to the title. Ska could you please fix it? Here is a shot of the whole build
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Ulandian soldiers from the Blazing Swords legion were patrolling a path towards the peak of one of the mountains in the Nestlands. They were about to check one of the numerous caves for rebels when they were suddenly attacked by a ferocious croc warrior! Extra pics: figless The back of the build For some reason I decided to build this whole cave upside down, and then SNOT and reverse the direction instead of just building it studs up. Here is a small build I made to display the Desert King warrior, who is one of the Nile Crocs' Nocturnian brethren. C and C appreciated For the Desert King!!
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Two courageous Desert King warriors rescue a young lady from one of the many criminals that are running amok while the High Council troops are busy fighting the war. This young lady's father happens to be the leader of a small village nearby, and both he and his daughter are very grateful of the heroic actions of these warriors. Extra pics C and C appreciated
